Best Albums !: Neil Young. Chrome Dreams II (2007)

Chrome Dreams II is the 30th studio album by Canadian rock musician Neil Young. The album was released on October 23, 2007. The album is a sequel to Chrome Dreams, a legendary Neil Young album from 1977 that had originally been scheduled for release but was shelved in favor of American Stars 'N Bars. Chrome Dreams II was produced by Young and Niko Bolas (aka The Volume Dealers), and features the ensemble of Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina, pedal steel guitarist and dobro player Ben Keith (Harvest, Comes A Time, Harvest Moon) and bassist Rick Rosas (Freedom, Living With War, This Note's for You). The Blue Note Horns are on one track, "Ordinary People," and The Young People’s Chorus of New York City on "The Way." Most of the recording was done live with few overdubs at Feelgood's Garage studio near Redwood City, California, with two vintage gas pumps out front and vintage studio gear inside.

The first three songs of Chrome Dreams II date from the 1980s. "Beautiful Bluebird" was first recorded for the original version of Old Ways that was shelved by Geffen Records; "Boxcar" was a track on the unreleased Times Square album, which was scrapped in favor of the more commercially viable Freedom; and "Ordinary People," which was recorded in 1988 for the This Note's for You album, was highly regarded as one of Young's greatest unreleased songs, and was often played live during the "Sponsored By Nobody" tour with The Bluenotes to promote the album. This was the album's first single, and was sent to radio on Monday, September 10th. The length of this track (clocking in at 18:13) makes it hard to program into today's limited radio playlists, so it was initially heard on radio web sites.

A version of Chrome Dreams II with a bonus DVD, containing the album in high resolution 24 bit/96kHz stereo was also released. In addition, there will be a traditional LP pressing of the record with 180 gram vinyl.

The album debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at number 11, selling about 54,000 copies in its first week.